“Leg” 4: Washington DC

We reached Washington a short while after scheduled arrival, this due to the fact that Sholom Ber went past the speed limit. Parking illegally in front of the Holocaust Museum, Sholom Ber ran in and got the tickets and sent Schneur with everybody inside to start the tour. In the meantime Sholom Ber took Yankee with him and both headed to find parking for the big van, finally finding parking about 15 minute walk from the museum. Yankee & Sholom Ber used the opportunity to survey all the deals and bargains happening on the street, for key chains, T-shirts and more Washington souvenirs.

The Biggest UnCircumcised Object as seen by Yankee

At the museum, everybody was serious, it is a very moving experience which cannot be described in words, and therefore I will not write about it, it is something which must be seen in person, to understand the scope of the horrendous acts of the Nazis towards our nation. The museum is divided into a main exhibit which takes about two hours to go thru, and some side exhibits. Mendy Kaye & Dovi Chein took some pictures against museum rules.

The beds at Auschwitz

Reflecting on the Six Million

At the end of the tour, everybody assembled in the entrance waiting for Pinchus & Rafi to come back. Schneur then decided to videotape Dovi & Yankee about their feelings after the tour. As Yankee was in middle of explaining that in America we have freedom to do whatever we want, a security guard came over and requested the camera be turned off, leaving Yankee in middle of a sentence about Bush’s house which is around the block and freedom of speech in the USA...

Simcha waking up from a snooze in the museum

Walking out of the museum

We then headed towards the van so we could Daven Mincha. The place where the van was parked is a beautiful location overlooking the stadium, capitol hill, and some more landmarks, a place from which the Washington Sunset can be seen clearly. Schneur was Chazan for Mincha, and as usual, he most probably didn’t have a Minyan of people who Davenned. Rafi Morgenstien was busy trying to figure out how long can he sit on the edge of barricade before falling down 10 stories high and dying. Dovi & Ari were having a finger competition, who can make a better design with his fingers.

Mincha overlooking the Washington Skyline

Shkiah in Washington

After Mincha, we all headed towards the Arena to watch the game between Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers, trying to find our way around managing to get lost every once in a while, but finally making it there. We parked the car for 20 bucks! The parking cost more than the tickets for the crappiest team on the league! Right there Sholom Ber gave out the food which was supposed to be for lunch, a pack and a half of smoked turkey (or similar) to every Bochur with bread and soda. The Bochurim preferred to smuggle the soda into the Arena (to prevent paying the exorbitantly high prices of soda in the arena), managing to get in three bottles of soda...

After eating, everybody took the stairwells from the 6-floor under parking till the main floor where the arena is located. In the meantime Sholom Ber went on a hunt to get the tickets, running around the whole block five times before finding the main entrance (which looked more like a side entrance to a Dunkin’ Donuts) while the Bochurim stayed back and chilled by the entrance to “Regal Cinemas” waiting for the tickets to come. Once the tickets came, the Bochurim took over the whole area spanning the 15 seats Sholom Ber had tickets for, bringing in food and drinks for everybody. It was decided that we will cheer for both teams, dependant on the time and situation.

Chillin' at the Cinema

Sholom Ber sat on the top tier, next to a couple which flew in from California to watch the game and causally fell asleep. To the cheers of a goal by Florida, Sholom Ber woke up to be greeted by four girls holding cellphones taking pictures of him and giggling away. It must’ve been funny seeing such a big guy in such a small seat, sleeping. After this incident he returned to sleep. Simcha Bloom soon joined too, sleeping quietly.

Sholom Ber enjoying the small seats

Watching the game with Simcha Bloom sleeping quietly

Simcha has developed a special skill of sleeping in every situation where girls are not around him, he slept in the van, in the Holocaust Museum, in Shul, in the Arena, and anywhere else where the conditions permitted it.

Sleeping Beauty

Florida won the game 3-2, and there were only four people cheering: Rafi Morgenstien (who cheered because he is a Floridian), Sholom Ber (who cheered because it’s not the majority) and two unidentified Florida fans who were seating across the arena on the other side. The Bochurim cheered mainly during the fights, regardless of who won.

After the game, Yankee Kopfstien decided that we should all eat by the White House “President Bush’s House here in the USA”, everybody agreed and we all headed out to get lost in the capital of the USA. After a very long drive we finally reached the White House area, surrounded by cops and nuts, we parked away and walked with the food towards the White House. In front of the gate there were various groups protesting, one of them protesting against the war in Iraq, and yet another, across the street, protesting for the past 25 years that America must get rid of it’s nuclear weapons so the countries which are in a Cold War shall do the same. Those stoners haven’t yet woken up to reality, and most probably are still waiting to see the hostages come back from Iran...

Walking from the White House to the Park to eat supper

After a short tour around the White House, including pictures with the various demonstrators, we parked at the park across the street to eat supper, which consisted of Schnitzels and various salads, and Kaufmann trying to sell some pieces of burned chicken for 50 cents a piece. After such a satisfying supper we headed back on the road.

After getting lost for some time, we managed to find the right highway but going the wrong way, and BeHashgocho Protis, because on the road a car spun off and crashed into the middle, causing damage to some people. Quite a few Police cars and Ambulances and Fire Trucks were at the scene trying to save lives but they weren’t very successful.

As the highway neared to an end, and no signs towards Baltimore were visible, Sholom Ber got off at an exit and pulled over a cop in middle of a green light asking him for directions. The cop seeming surprised and shocked hesitated a few seconds before giving directions. We then headed on the way again until Sholom Ber thought that we may have been lost again so he pulled off again, this time in some desolate mountain area with clear crisp mountain air, air which everyone breathed in and enjoyed.

Only after these two stops did Ari Eagle wake up and say that he knows the way from the highway and gave directions, as always, he was very late, and it didn’t really help then ‘cause Sholom Ber figured it out already.

After quite a long trip, almost three hours we finally made it to Baltimore. Upon entering, Ari didn’t say clear directions, so Sholom Ber pulled into the first gas station to ask. It was the worst neighborhood in Baltimore, the slums and druggies all live here. As Sholom Ber was inside getting his coffee with Schneur, they both realized where they were and smelled the heavy smell of drug users in the gas station, just as one commented that to the other, a car parked across the white van, with a shattered window and two dudes inside. Nigga A told Nigga B “Fill up while I get some coffee and some chocolate bars inside”. Nigga A then proceeded inside. In the meantime, Nigga B proceeded to smoke a full joint, Non-Stop, smoking it till the end burning his fingers and all. By the time Nigga A came out the car still wasn’t filled up with gas, but the driver was totally high. “We are soaring to Shomayim where the angels fall in love”.

Finally we dropped off Ari Eagle at his home and hit the road.